Scars and Stories
by MoonlightSpirit
Summary: The day that Katara's mother was killed, something happened to Katara that no one except Sokka knows about. What could it be? Zuko is able to pull the story out of Katara and the two of them learn about each other's pasts, bringing them closer together.


**This idea just sort of popped into my head and I just had to write it. So here's **_**Scars and Stories**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

"Zuko, can you tell Katara that dinner is ready?" the young Avatar, Aang, asked the former Fire Nation Prince Zuko.

"Okay," said Zuko, standing up from his seat near the fire, "Where is she?"

"Probably in her room getting changed," Aang said. It wasn't long ago that Aang and Katara had returned, soaking wet, from waterbending. It didn't take long for Aang to change. Then again, Aang didn't have a head of thick, long hair that needed to be brushed after getting wet.

Zuko walked down the hall to Katara's room, taking his time. Katara still didn't forgive him. Zuko had to constantly put up with her snide remarks and was beginning to lose his patience.

"Katara," Zuko said, opening the door to her room, "Dinner is-" Zuko's words immediately stopped when he saw Katara. Dressed in nothing but her pants. In other words topless. Katara shrieked and grabbed the dress piece of her outfit, holding it in front of her and turning her back to Zuko.

"Zuko, get out of here!" she said looking for something heavy to throw at him. Darn it, the heaviest thing was her mother's necklace lying on a nearby table and she wasn't gong to throw it. Zuko's eyes however, were fixed on a spot on Katara's back, a spot usually covered by her clothes or white swimsuit. It was a horrible burn scar right across her back from left to right. The usually tan skin there was as red and burnt as Zuko's scar.

"Katara, where did that scar come from?" Zuko asked. Katara turned around, making sure to keep her dress tight in front of her.

"What scar?" she said innocently. Zuko crossed his arms.

"You know, you're a really bad liar," he said. Katara frowned.

"Just get out of my room," she said impatiently.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me about that scar," said Zuko in a slightly raised voice.

"Shhhh," Katara said, rushing to close the door, "Not so loud, no one knows about it."

"Really?" said Zuko.

"Well, Sokka does. But no one else knows," Katara said.

"So can you tell me about it?" Zuko asked. Katara's frown deepened.

"Why are you so curious?" Katara asked. Zuko shrugged.

"I have a scar, you have a scar. We have something in common," Zuko said. Katara rolled her eyes and mumbled sarcastically "Great."

"Your not gonna rest until you learn the story behind my scar are you?" Katara asked.

"Nope," said Zuko.

"Great! Now get out my room!" said Katara cheerfully. Zuko glared at her.

"Fine," Katara said impatiently. She was would have waterbent at him, her pouch was resting on the table right next to her. Unfortunately, it's not possible to waterbend when you're currently holding a dress to your naked chest while a guy you hate is in your room.

"Just turn around so I can get my clothes on," she said. Zuko did so as Katara pulled the dress part of her outfit on and put on her mother's necklace.

"Okay, you can turn back around," Katara said. Zuko turned around to see Katara sitting on her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her ocean blue eyes staring out the window.

"Sit down," she said, "It's a long story." Zuko sat at the edge of her bed.

"I didn't meant sit near me," she mumbled under her breath. And then she began her story.

"There was a Fire Nation raid at my home, the South Pole," Katara began, "It was years ago. I was about four and Sokka was six. Our mother had gone to fight against the firebenders. She told me and Sokka to stay in the house and stay away from the windows. We did as she said. Until I heard her scream of pain. I raced outside to see her body beaten, scarred and burned on the ground. A firebender was about to attack her when I threw myself over her body. The firebender's attack ended up hitting me instead of my mother. I had never felt so much pain in my life. My mother was holding onto me while I cried. It was then that she gave me this necklace," she gestured to the necklace around her neck, "My mother died a few hours later. I remember her last words to me. She said 'Never forget who you are'," Zuko's eyes widened slightly.

"What did she say?" he asked. Katara turned away from the window to look at him.

"Never forget who you are," she repeated, "Why do you ask?"

"Those were the last words my mother said to me before she left," Zuko said.

"Why did your mother leave you?" Katara asked curiously.

"She didn't actually leave," Zuko said, "I've recently learned she was banished."

"Do you know why she was banished?" Katara asked.

"Who's asking all the questions now?" Zuko asked with a smirk. Katara frowned at him.

"Just shut up and answer the question?" she snapped.

"I can't shut up and answer the question," Zuko pointed out. Katara punched his arm.

"I just want to know," she said.

"Okay," said Zuko, rubbing the arm Katara just punched, "You punch hard for a girl. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure why my mother was banished, but I have an idea why. My father wasn't Fire Lord at the time, my grandfather Azulon was. Earlier that day Azula came to my room saying my father was gonna kill me. See, my uncle, son of the current Fire Lord, had lost his son during the Siege of Ba Sing Se and totally fell apart. He just couldn't fight anymore. My grandfather was disappointed in him and my father took advantage of this disappointment. My uncle was next in line for the throne, but my father wanted it. Now, I'm going by what Azula told me, my father tried to convince my grandfather that my uncle was to unstable to take the throne, and too give the throne to him. My grandfather was disappointed that my father would do something like this and told him that he would feel the pain of losing a son, by killing me. I think that, to protect me, my mother murdered my grandfather that night so that my father could get the throne and not kill me. And for that, my father banished her." Katara, for once, was speechless around Zuko. A small smile appeared on Zuko's face.

"You know, I never told anyone that story," he said. Zuko noticed a small smile pull at the edge of Katara's lips.

"Well, I never told anyone the story of my scar," said Katara. An awkward silence fell upon the two of them. Then, Zuko reached out and touched Katara's back where her scar was. Katara tensed up.

"Does it still hurt sometimes?" he asked. Katara nodded, hoping Zuko wouldn't notice the blush on her cheeks. Why was she blushing anyway? Didn't she hate Zuko?

Zuko removed his hand from her back and took Katara's hand in his. Katara looked down at their hands, and then up at Zuko to see a smile on his face.

"I'm glad you can open up to me Katara," he said.

"Don't get used to it," Katara said, "I still don't fully trust you."

"Does that mean you at least trust me a little?" Zuko asked.

"A little," Katara said, "Can you answer one more question for me though?"

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Zuko. Katara reached out her free hand, touched Zuko's scar and asked, "How did you get _your _scar?" Zuko looked away from Katara for a moment. He never told anyone how he got his scar. But Katara had shared her story with him, so why couldn't he share his story with her.

"I was thirteen when it happened," Zuko began, "I wanted to go into the war chamber, but the guards wouldn't let me. My uncle got me in, although he told me not to say anything. And I was quiet for most of the meeting. Until the general was going to sacrafice a whole division. I spoke out against it and my father was not pleased for my outburst. He said it was an act of compete disrespect. And in the Fire Nation, the only way to deal with disrespect is an Agni Kai, a fire duel. I thought I woud be dueing the old general and was not afraid. But when I turned to face my oppenet, I saw it was not the general, but my own father," Katara gasped.

"You had to fight your own father?" she said in shock.

"Yes," said Zuko, "I may have spoken out against the general, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war chamber, it was the Fire Lord who I had disrespected. I refused to fight my father. I begged for mercy. But he said I would learn respect. And that suffering would be my teacher. And then, he burnt me. He gave me this scar."

"Your own father," she said in barley a whisper, tracing the edge of Zuko's scar with her fingertips, "Did this to you?" Zuko nodded. And to his surprise, Katara pulled him into a tight hug. Zuko immediately tensed up. The last time he had been hugged like this was by his mother and he wasn't use hugging. Slowly, Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara, hugging her back. They stayed like that for a while, until Zuko heard Katara giggle.

"What's so funny?" Zuko asked.

"Hell must have frozen over for me to be hugging you," Katara giggled. Zuko chuckled.

"We better get to dinner," said Katara, pulling away from Zuko, "I smell Aang burning it." There was the sight smell of burnt food in the air. Katara stood up and walked over to the door. She turned around to see Zuko still sitting on her bed.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Zuko said, standing up and following Katara outside her room. And the two of them walked to dinner side by side.

**That's the end of my story. I really like how it came out. Tell me what you think. Please Review!**


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